The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has been honoured with a prestigious award for its agricultural waste recycling and composting efforts at the International Dates Conference and Exhibition 2024 that took place from November 19 to 28, 2024.

The National Centre for Palms and Dates recognised RCU with the Excellence Award in Innovative Date Palm Technologies, highlighting the success of its sustainable practices in date palm cultivation.

Dr Abdullah Alhumaid, from RCU, said: “Agriculture plays a critical role in RCU’s journey to revitalise AlUla’s landscape.

“Its regeneration is not only of great importance to the environment and wider sustainability goals, but also serves as a powerful stimulus for economic, social, and cultural conservation across the county.”

“This recognition reinforces the efforts being taken to drive sustainable agricultural practices, which are supporting RCU’s wider comprehensive regeneration of AlUla. Through such programmes, supported by AlUla’s farmers, we are creating long-term impact,” he added.

The award recognises RCU’s efforts in establishing composting stations in AlUla’s Cultural Oasis and Mughayra areas. These stations are part of a large-scale organic waste recycling programme, designed to enrich the soil on local farms. The initiative also includes integrated pest-management practices, promoting sustainability in date palm cultivation.

RCU participated in the fifth edition of the International Dates Conference and Exhibition, where 12 AlUla farms showcased their knowledge of date cultivation. Farmers highlighted the unique varieties of dates grown in AlUla, including Barni, Majdool, Halwa, and Shinna. - TradeArabia News Service